What do you remember most about your father?

He had this joy. He really enjoyed being alive. I remember having a conversation with him, maybe a year or two before he died [in 1998]. I said, “Dad, I want to let you know that I feel like we’re in a relay race: You’re handing me the baton, and I’m gonna go out and do your work, everything that you taught me.” But I [also] remember, I would say, “Dad, you’ve gotta live each moment, each moment’s gotta be fresh!” And he said, “You know, that’s a wonderful thought, but it’s bullshit. We’re habitual creatures. It’s all about developing good or bad habits.” And this is a theme in my life, melding those two things: living in the moment, but at the same time, behavior has results.

Was there anything you’d do before the cameras started rolling, as the Dude, to get in the Lebowski zone? Well, the Dude, like me, is basically a pothead. I used to love pot. I can’t do it now, because of my health. But I decided to not get high while

I made that movie because I wanted to really there for that script and those lines and that character. Also, a mindset I have for most things I do—because, you know, you get anxious, and the groovier the thing is, the more anxious you get—I will do a form of prayer, I guess. I’ll remind myself, “Be open and look for the direction.” Everything is directing us all the time. It’s what we pay attention to. It may be a grip over there, or a guy talking about his mother, or it could even be a fly. You go up to a fly, and you say, “You got any tips?” “Yeah.” “Like what?” “Don’t anything.” “Oh, God—beautiful direction, thank you!”

You’ve been nominated for seven Academy Awards and won an Oscar for Crazy Heart. What career choice are you most proud of? I think the purpose of my career is to make a difference. But there’s another movie going on called real life, and I’m

most proud of what I’m able to give—whether it’s [helping] the climate, or I’ve been involved in ending hunger for, like, 40 years.

Are your daughters like you? Isabelle and I love talking philosophy and spiritual stuff. She has the grandkids, and she and I wrote a book called Daddy Daughter Day, all about my attempt at “time.” That’s kind of a regret that I have, as I look back on my life, not having spent as much time as I could with my girls. Jessie, my middle daughter, she was my assistant on three movies, so we hung out a lot together. She also plays guitar and writes beautiful music. Haley, my youngest, is a very successful designer. She lives in Santa Barbara right next to us. We see each other a lot. And one of the things that brought me through my illness— the goal I used—was walking her down the aisle. She just got married, and I was able to not only walk her down the aisle, but also do our dance.